Les Miserables
by GemEncrustedEarth
Summary: I can't believe I wrote this.  Sort of a later side story to Reflections.  This is what happens when I decided to repeatedly listen to Les Miserables.


Gem: Blank sings like I do. Can't tune himself to save his life but once out of tune, will stay constantly out of tune. Kaira belongs to Kaira Fire Demon and anyone else that doesn't belong to Final Fantasy IX or whoever owns Les Miserables belongs to me.

* * *

Ruby had discovered a very strange play buried deep in a pile of old things at the back of her mini-theater. It was called Les Miserables. Baku had said the other night that he wanted a different play, one that had never been done before. She opened up the book and started laughing; it was a musical! None of the guys could really sing and Zidane was the worst. He warbled back and forth with others unless someone was a really strong singer and stood next to him.

"What's so funny?"

Ruby very nearly handed Blank the book until she realized he couldn't see it and therefore couldn't read it. Still giggling slightly she told him, "It's actually a musical. But Zidane can't sing very well and we need two young girls and another two girls closer to our ages so four extra girls all together. Some of this just won't work by dressing any of you up."

Blank sniggered. If he went out of tune, he would stay constantly out of tune. At least he admitted that he was a bad singer.

"Can we even get Zidane? He is happily married you know."

"Darlin', Zidane's been driving Dagger nuts by being antsy about her current pregnancy. She came down a few nights ago and told me she needed to find him something to do. This is the perfect excuse."

"Well, that answers that. Other girls?"

"Marcus's wife. She should be willing but she sings like you."

Blank made a face at his wife. She had the gall to say that to his face! But she was right. Marcus's wife Gem did go out of tune a lot but that never stopped her from singing. Ruby was sniggering as she turned Blank around and pushed him out the door.

"I'm going. I'm going."

He could hear several people bounding down the stairs because they chose to ignore the large Closed sign and heard Marcus tell them to calm down. Gem was a piece of work and it seemed her daughter had inherited it too. Both of them had that childhood innocence still even though it should have been gone from Gem long ago. Blank was able to tell that Marcus had picked up their daughter Kat and was reading the play over his wife's shoulder.

"Need me?" Gem asked with a grin.

"Yes. Baku said he wanted a completely different play. I found it buried in a back room."

"There might be more things like this back there!"

"And how did yew two meet 'er again?" Ruby asked as Gem dashed off to the backroom to go digging through the areas Ruby had missed. "Why did yew decide to marry 'er?"

Marcus turned beet red; he was not talking about that in front of his daughter until she was in her teens. In a way, it had been agreed upon a long time ago. Gem came skidding back into the room; at some point she had taken off her boots and was only in her socks. Blank, Marcus, and Ruby all laughed as she nearly skidded into a table.

"Hey!"

A book was clutched in her hand and the title could just be made out. She had an 'I-have-a-secret-and-you-don't-know-it' smile plastered on her face while she showed them the copy.

"An' there's more back there!" she exclaimed with her voice rising several pitches.

"Well, at least we solved the copy problem," Ruby said. "Now all we need is another girl our age and two younger girls." Ruby took Kat from Marcus and sat the girl on the counter. "Would you like to be a part of the play Kitty?"

"Can I, Mumma?" Kat asked with hope in her voice.

"Well, what do you think Marcus?" Gem said with a small smile.

"Please Daddy?"

Ruby knew that both of them would say yes; it was written clear as day on their faces. They tried to make it seem like their little girl had as much freedom as both of them had. Kat turned herself back to Ruby and with a very big smile said "Yes."

"Mum? What's going on?" came a new and very sleepy voice. Ruby and Blank's daughter Kaira came into sight rubbing one of her eyes and holding a stuffed animal in her other hand.

"Bad dream?" Blank asked her kneeling to the child's level.

"Monsters were chasing you and Mum through a forest."

Thankfully Kaira missed the startled looks. The only forest Tantalus had been chased out of was the Evil Forest. The young girl cried into her father's shoulder as she recounted the dream. It was almost too accurate for Blank and Marcus. They had to find a way to keep that dream from resurfacing; it looked like they had found their other little girl.

"Um Ruby, we need a little boy too unless we dress one of our girls up as a boy," Gem's voice broke the awkward silence. Blank stood up with Kaira in his arms and looked in Gem's direction. He no longer wore a belt over his eyes but blood red eyes just weren't truly natural. Neither little girl was going to be able to pass for a boy unless they wrapped the girl's hair up.

"AHCOOOO!"

"Mornin' Uncle Baku."

"Morning Boss."

Baku pulled lightly on one of Kat's pigtails and attempted to get Kaira to look at him. She responded by burrowing further into Blank's shoulder. He seemed concerned since she refused to look at him. A hand pulled Baku away from Blank and Kaira; it was Marcus. In whispers, Marcus explained Kaira's dream. Baku fought not to express how startled he was. He turned around and decided to change the topic back to what it had been.

"How did your mission go?"

"I found a play bu' we're still missin' one older girl. Know anybudy?" Ruby asked Baku.

"We'll find someone. Zidane better be helping us if his wife can spare him."

"Boss, Dagger said he's more antsy than her about the birth of their second child and she's not even close to being due."

Baku laughed. Apparently the second child was always a father's nightmare if the months before Gem's birth had been any clue.

"If they have more than two, it'll get easier." Turning Baku addressed Gem and Marcus. "Can either one of you find someone suitable to play a part in this play?"

The two of them looked at each other before Gem bounded up the stairs. She had retained some communication from other nobles who had finally looked past her marriage to a thief. One of them had a daughter very interested in the arts.

* * *

The weeks passed and Tantalus began to work on their next play. Zidane was playing Thenardier and was currently working on his song. He started to sing as Marcus walked in dressed as a patron.

Zidane addressed Marcus as he sang. "Welcome, Messier. Sit yourself down and meet the best Innkeeper in town. As for the rest, all of 'em crooks, rooking their guests and cooking the books."

Zidane managed to push Marcus into a chair while the girls laughed like they were drunk. "Seldom do you see honest men like me; a gent of good intent who's content to be master of the house, doling out the charm; ready with a handshake and an open palm. Tells a saucy tale, makes a little stir; customers appreciate a bon-viveur. Glad to do a friend a favor, doesn't cost me to be nice but nothing gets you nothing. Everything has got a little price!"

The boys were also laughing as though they were extraordinarily drunk while Zidane continued to sing. "Master of the house. Keeper of the zoo. Ready to relieve 'em of a sou or two. Watering the wine, making up the weight, pickin' up their knick-knacks when they can't see straight. Everybody loves a landlord; everybody's bosom friend. I do whatever pleases. Jesus! Won't I bleed 'em in the end!"

The group of them began to sing along with Zidane.

"Master of the house, Quick to catch yer eye, never wants a passerby to pass him by. Servant to the poor, butler to the great, comforter, philosopher, and lifelong mate! Everybody's boon companion; everybody's chaperone!"

Zidane continued with his part. "But lock up your valises. Jesus! Won't I skin you to the bone!" He turned towards Blank who walked in with a swagger and a heavy bag. "Enter Messier. Lay down your load, unlace your boots, and rest from the road."

Zidane picked up the bag. "This weighs a ton, travel's a curse but here we strive to lighten your purse. Here the goose is cooked; here the fat is fried and nothing's overlooked till I'm satisfied..."

Other girls who had come to help came from backstage carrying dishes that would eventually be filled with food. "Food beyond compare; food beyond belief, mix it in a mincer and pretend it's beef. Kidney of a horse, liver of a cat, filling up the sausages with this and that.

"Residents are more than welcome, bridal suite is occupied, reasonable charges plus some little extras on the side!"

Zidane pulled out a pen and paper and began to 'write.' "Charge 'em for the lice; extra for the mice; two percent for looking in the mirror twice. Here a little slice, there a little cut, three percent for sleeping with the window shut. When it comes to fixing prices there are a lot of tricks he knows, how it all increases, all those bits and pieces. Jesus! It's amazing how it grows!"

Rancorous laughter came from everyone before they all started singing with Zidane again.

"Master of the house, quick to catch yer eye, never wants a passerby to pass him by. Servant to the poor, butler to the great, comforter, philosopher, and lifelong mate! Everybody's boon companion gives 'em everything he's got!"

Zidane continued after the others finished. "Dirty bunch of geezers. Jesus! What a sorry little lot!"

Ruby was playing the part of Zidane's wife. Her blouse was cut far below decent, and she was in danger of falling out. "I used to dream that I would meet a prince, but God Almighty, have you seen what's happened since? 'Master of the house?' Isn't worth my spit! Comforter, philosopher' - and lifelong shit! Cunning little brain, regular Voltaire." Ruby pulled out a sock as she sang the next part. "Thinks he's quite a lover but there's not much there." She allowed the sock to flop over.

"What a cruel trick of nature landed me with such a louse. God knows how I've lasted living with this bastard in the house!"

The others laughed before they sang the next line with Zidane while Ruby interjected in where appropriate.

"Master of the house."

Ruby's voice rose above their's. "Master and a half!"

"Comforter, philosopher…"

She laughed some during her line. "Ah, don't make me laugh!"

"Servant to the poor. Butler to the great."

"Hypocrite and toady and inebriate!"

"Everybody bless the landlord! Everybody bless his spouse!"

Zidane held up a glass filled with water. "Everybody raise a glass!"

A drunken sounding cheer rose as Ruby held up her own glass. "Raise it up the master's ass!"

Everyone sang the last line together before laughing rancorously once again. "Everybody raise a glass to the master of the house!"

Baku laughed. The fact of the matter was none of them were drunk and the girl Gem found had gotten all her friends to come so they had enough extra people. "Okay people! Move onto 'One Day More' since there are parts that still don't sound right."

Baku stood up and looking off into the distance. "One day more! Another day, another destiny. This never-ending road to Calvary; these men who seem to know my crime will surely come a second time. One day more!"

Marcus joined in as he held onto Arlie's hands. "I did not live until today. How can I live when we are parted?"

Baku continued. "One day more."

Arlie joined in with Marcus. "Tomorrow you'll be worlds away and yet with you, my world has started!"

Gem was playing Eponine and began her part. "One more day all on my own."

Arlie and Marcus continued slightly over top of Gem. "Will we ever meet again?"

Gem managed to look disappointed in both herself and Marcus. "One more day with him not caring."

Marcus and Arlie traded with Gem. "I was born to be with you."

Gem's gestures were showing how upset her character was supposed to be. "What a life I might have known."

"And I swear I will be true!"

"But he never saw me there!" Gem's voice rose on the last word to a point almost out of her range.

Blank was playing the leader of the students Enjolras. "One more day before the storm!"

Marcus managed to look confused to his decisions. "Do I follow where she goes?"

The two of them began a slight call and response with each other.

"At the barricades of freedom."

"Shall I join my brothers there?"

"When our ranks begin to form."

"Do I stay; and do I dare?" Marcus had turned towards the front of the stage trying to decide what to do.

Blank addressed Marcus. "Will you take your place with me?"

The entire company excepting Blank sang together, "The time is now, the day is here."

Baku's voice rose above everyone else's. "One day more!"

Cinna had taken Javert's part. "One more day to revolution, we will nip it in the bud! I will join these schoolboys; they will wet themselves with blood!"

Passion filled Baku's voice. "One day more!"

Ruby and Zidane were sitting in the front of the group. They were actually going to be poking their torsos out of a hatch. "Watch 'em run amuck, catch 'em as they fall, never know your luck when there's a free for all. Here a little dip,' there a little touch,' most of them are goners so they won't miss much!"

Everyone who didn't have a part broke into two groups. Group one started. "One day to a new beginning."

Group two echoed the other. "Raise the flag of freedom high!"

"Every man will be a king."

"Every man will be a king."

"There's a new world for the winning."

"There's a new world to be won."

Both groups joined for the next line. "Do you hear the people sing?"

Marcus gestured as he sang his next line. "My place is here, I fight with you!"

Even more passion was in Baku's voice as everyone began to overlap each other. "One day more!"

Marcus and Arlie were holding hands again. "I did not live until today."

Gem's voice rose above the babble. "One more day all on my own!"

"How can I live when we are parted?" Marcus's and Arlie's words weren't as clear because of the amount of people singing.

Cinna managed enough passion and breath to be heard over everyone. "I will join these people's heroes; I will follow where they go. I will learn their little secrets; I will know the things they know."

Baku took his turn slightly overlapping Cinna. "One day more!"

Marcus and Arlie sang as the babble died down a tiny bit. "Tomorrow you'll be worlds away."

"What a life I might have known!" Gem was managing to be heard clearly over everyone.

Once again, they traded parts with Gem. "And yet with you my world has started."

Cinna was managing to sound as passionate as Baku had. "One more day to revolution, we will nip it in the bud. We'll be ready for these schoolboys."

Zidane and Ruby overlapped with the others and managed to be loud enough to be heard. "Watch 'em run amok, catch 'em as they fall. Never know your luck when there's a free-for-all!"

Baku managed to be heard over the babble of everyone now singing different parts at the same time. "Tomorrow we'll be far away. Tomorrow is the judgment day."

Everyone came together for the last line. "Tomorrow we'll discover what our God in Heaven has in store! One more dawn, one more day, one day more!"

* * *

"Okay everyone! We've been at this for the past three months and tonight is our opening night. I want you all to break a leg," said Baku.

"Who's ready to perform something new!" yelled Gem from her place upon Marcus's shoulder.

"We are!" yelled everyone.

"Let's go and do this!"

Baku smiled. Everyone was riled up and ready to go. Dagger had watched their dress rehearsal the night before and told them that she was excited. The _Prima Vista II_ was docked in Alexandria's harbor and as Baku walked out to introduce the play to the watchers he noticed how packed the entire seating area was; even the rooftops were packed.

The play was a hit and their problem songs had finally come together. He could tell that Dagger was mouthing the words to the finale as they sang it. Their leads and 'dead' people came to take their bows after the rest of the cast took their's. Dagger started a standing ovation and people were yelling as the curtain finally fell.


End file.
